Here is the fourth chapter of the book I’m working on, describing our natural right to our curiosity. My happiest and most exciting times of life were when my standard of living, as measured by economists, was lowest. This includes both my wilderness backpacking years and raising a young family while in graduate school, when [...]
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This is one of a few letters that is incomplete. It still is informative about battleships and yachts. In regards to me being sick, I recall being absent from school for typically about 30 days out of the year in elementary school. That lessened in high school, while my year between high school and college [...]
Continue reading about Pop’s Letters – Washington’s Birthday, 1963
The O’Cains were another family with kids my age, this time all boys (Chris, Brian, Tim), who lived in an apartment above the funeral home on Maple Avenue. In recent times that apartment has changed tenants on a regular basis, which probably should be expected, though it did not seem strange to me back then [...]
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After being sidetracked the past couple of weeks, here is the third chapter for the new book I am working on, about Free Will. Here are the previous chapters. Natural Altruism. Natural Rights. “Choose well the company you keep” is sound advice based on our most important natural right: the free will to belong. Who [...]
This letter relates Pop’s beginning as a salesman during the Depression. Mr. Harold Lufkin, V.P. Nov 10, 1962 Newton Mfg. Co. Newton, Iowa. Dear Mr. Lufkin: <The beginning relates to Newton business matters> I was very sorry to read in our local papers that you lost a valued citizen of Newton in Fred Maytag. Did [...]
This house is now owned by Chris Grosjean but was once the home of the Welz family with their five girls around my age. In case you are wondering, there is no longer snow in Norfolk, the Maple Avenue photos were all taken on the same day during the winter. One advantage of winter shots [...]
On the face of it, turning Tea Parties into a federation is a good thing from my perspective as a staunch advocate of federation. However, this movement towards “Federation” actually reinforces my earlier criticisms of the Tea Parties as special interest groups. It is really akin to putting lipstick on a pig. For those who [...]
Pop writes of the virtues of pluralism and self-reliance. Norfolk, Conn. August 16, 1962 Dear Beth: Thanks for your nice letter and the nice things you said in it. I guess the best way if I ever decide to write is for you to take some occasional letters that I write and put them together. [...]
My chemistry teacher, Sal Passamano, lived nearby on Maple Avenue. I knew little about him until I went to Northwestern, a regional middle and high school for four towns. My first impression was one of apprehension. Walking down the hallway near his classroom you occasionally heard “You KNUCKLEHEADS!” in a very loud voice. Once I [...]
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The Bards of Balance are starting a series of video podcasts called “Bard Notes” providing more information on the meaning behind our songs. Here are the Bard Notes for our song “Power and Dough.”